The AP reports that the shopper facing trial alleges that the entire incident was racially charged. Police reports say that the woman refused to calm down and leave the property, and allegedly kicked one police officer in the shin and split another's lip while resisting arrest.
The woman claims that she never resisted arrest, but was jumped by angry cops who were "using racial slurs and telling her to go back to the ghetto."
From the AP:
Ellis' [The shopper's] written account to the NAACP describes she and her cousin getting into separate checkout lanes before Ellis switched into the faster-moving line. The woman behind them had placed items on the conveyor belt, and Ellis alleged the woman pushed her when she tried to put her own items down.
Witnesses instead told police that Ellis shoved the woman's merchandise back, according to court filings.
Ellis wrote that a security officer and manager were called over and that although Ellis said she wanted to pay, the manager yelled at her to leave the store. Police were called and arrived.
Officers eventually followed her to the parking lot, she said, using racial slurs and telling her to go back to the ghetto. As her aunt and uncle drove into the parking lot, Ellis said, the officers "jumped" on her even though she said she was not resisting.
She's apparently been offered plea deals but has refused them on principle, preferring instead to face trial and possible prison time.
Leaving alleged racism/police brutality/possible extended prison sentence out of it, what's the right way to handle line-cutters? Is it cool for someone to join their friend or relative in a faster moving line? If not, what should you do when it happens? If she was willing to pay, should she have been forced to leave the store?
Arrest at Walmart leads to charges of racism [AP]
(Photo:frankieleon)
What they left out of this is the fact that the young lady apparently shoved back the person behind her cousins stuff to make room for her stuff, which is quite rude. Then she got an attitude like she was entitled to do whatever she wants since her cousin was in line. I would not mind if she added a few things but you can't just move people things that were in the line before you jumped in and then get an attitude with them when they complain.
]]>read here : [geogee.wordpress.com]
]]>@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: checkout - pardon the pun -what vanilla 5 has to say , she lives there!
]]>@jrs: I agree with your middle paragraph. A little de=escalation and calm professionalism would have gone a long way to prevent this situation from getting out of hand. Glad to know there are still people with common sense out there.
]]>@TCinIowa: I think you have a pretty good take on the whole thing.
]]>And I went to school for it like a chump!
]]>@deniseb:
I'm not a fan of line cutting and I'm not a fan of people in general these days since so many are just plain rude. I don't shop at Wal-Mart, in part, to avoid these people.
But if I'm the last person in the line and someone wants to join their party I am normally agreeable because I want to be nice and kind to people and hope that they will be nice and kind to others . But if I'm not the last in the line I don't think I can waive the line jumping on behalf of the entire line - who knows what kind of rush they are in.
]]>@Blackfished: Thank you. Thank you. And thank you again.
People are equal. Reverse discrimination is still discrimination. Whether you're black, white, red, blue or purple, bad manners is bad manners and assault and abuse is assault and abuse.
]]>@admiral_stabbin: Everything people know should have been learned in Kindergarten. Like manners, especially.
Lack of manners is a societal scourge.
]]>@burnedout: Hold up 3 fingers to their face, and exclaim, "read between the lines"!
]]>Anyway, line cutting is bad, but not kicked-out-of-the-store bad.
]]>Also: cute girls can cut in front of me.
]]>If you got in line together and one of you left the line because you forgot an item that's OK with me (because it's better than waiting until the cashier asks if you found everything and then hold up the line to get the forgotten item) but you still need to get back before the other person finishes checking out.
]]>@sevenwhitehorses: No, it is not. It's cutting. If you want to check out together then get in the same line.
]]>Id let my friend borrow money if asked, but wouldnt take theirs without asking, and if they took mine without asking it would be theft
.@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: Excellent point.
@anneka: That doesn't even make sense.
think other people don't mind because they wouldn't in the same situation
Those people are stupid. I'm serious. Assuming that everyone else would act and think the same way you would is just dumb.
in a big hurry for some good reason - sick relative at home
Then they should say so.
Some people cut in do cut in line because they feel like they're too good to wait. Go read some of the stories over in the customerssuck.com forums.
]]>D is OK if they are checking out together and the person left because they forgot the milk or something. It's better than waiting until they reach the cashier to say they need to get something.
]]>@Scuba Steve: Says the person who obviously doesn't have to catch a bus that only comes once an hour to get their groceries home.
]]>Ironically when you'd benefit from a single-line the most (ie Labor Day weekend sale at Walmart), is also when you have the most traffic and least amount of space.
]]>@WonderKatGoBoom: I hate this especially since all the cashiers around here seem to think that's how it *should* work. They'll tell the person that just got in line that to go to come over to the register they just opened while I've been standing there for forever behind the person with 100+ groceries and all possible forms of payment.
The one time it would have gone in my favor I told the woman ahead of me to go to the line that just opened up.
]]>The only time you can cut in line, is if you both plan on paying for the items together.
Otherwise? March your happy ass to the back of that line.
]]>She's not facing prison time for line jumping.
She's facing prison time for resisting arrest and assulting a police officer.
My guess is that racism is involved, starting with the chaos at the line. I bet in southern Missouri a redneck with a stars-and-bars t-shirt and camoflage pants switches lines to be with his cousin (err, wife) the rest of the rednecks in line don't make noise, but when a black woman cuts in line the SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN RIGHT NOW. From there it only escalated and the legendary fairness and color blindness of southern law enforcement took it from there.
Sorry to be stereotypical, but the fact is stereotypes come from somewhere and the stupidest of our fellow citizens are especially on edge lately.
If you have any doubts, go to peopleofwalmart.com and look at the pictures from the bible belt Walmarts.
Hopefully the national attention this case is getting will override the local anger and everyone can apologize for overreacting. It's not likely to happen since the cops won't back down for fear of being sued and the woman shouldn't back down because someone needs to stand up to bullying cops.
I suppose the moral of the story is don't cut in line.
]]>"Lady, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store."
"I'll swallow your soul!"
]]>But really - a possible 15 years for cutting in line?? Okay, the resisting arrest/disorderly charges might hold water. You have to wonder if a little calm professionalism by WalMart and the officers might have de-escalated the situation? Maybe take the woman aside, let her pay for her items and ask her to please show more consideration in the future?
Maybe I am a sentimental fool, but the America I remember had a lot more common sense and calmness than we seem to exhibit at times today.
]]>Most of us would not be confrontational in a silly situation like this.
I must admit, though, I love U.S.-style justice.
]]>A college student in New Orleans at the time of her arrest, the 24-year-old Ellis now teaches in Louisiana, where she is engaged to a state trooper. She has said she feels trapped by "small-town politics" in Kennett, where her family lives.
"What a shame the system can destroy a young person's future like this because of bad cops," Ellis wrote to the NAACP in April.
The group subsequently held a rally in Kennett. Before the June 13 event began, police officers found threatening letters the size of business cards scattered along the route that said the Ku Klux Klan had paid a visit and "the next visit will not be social."
Dunklin County Prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff said the cards were removed and the source investigated but never discovered. He said he doubts the cards actually were from the KKK; he knows of no KKK presence in the area. A call to the KKK headquarters was not answered.
As for Ellis' allegations of mistreatment by law enforcement, Sokoloff said he's "seen absolutely no evidence of any kind, apart from her statements, that those things occurred." Kennett Police Chief Barry Tate did not return phone calls seeking comment.
... She has previously rejected plea deals.
"Why would you plea bargain if you're innocent?" said Ellis' father, the Rev. Nathaniel Ellis of Kennett.
"This is not a matter of justice," he said. "It's a vendetta."
...Officer A.W. Fisher wrote in a probable cause statement that Ellis was given "every opportunity" to comply with officers and leave the property. He said she used an expletive in telling him she would beat him if he put his hands on her.
Fisher said he then told Ellis she was under arrest, but she would not stop fighting while being handcuffed.
Ah-hem. Obvious race-baiter is obvious.
]]>But then again...anyone that plays the race card after being a douchebag pretty much deserves at least a month in prison.
]]>Otherwise, you should get punched in the face and dragged out of the store...not necessarily by the police.
]]>Otherwise, "Excuse me, this is a line" or "the end of the line is back there" in a snotty tone usually reminds people we are not in kindergarten anymore.
]]>The police claim they arrested her because "she refused to calm down and leave the property". But then the story goes on to say that "Officers eventually followed her to the parking lot". It seems like she was leaving the property.
]]>And line cutting - I haven't had this at the grocery store, but every time I'm in the pharmacy some old person either just cuts in line or yells at me to wait while they get their meds. It's insane!
Last one - what's with old people parking ACROSS multiple parking spaces?? If you can't get it between the lines you shouldn't be driving.
'kay, I'm done.
]]>I really appreciate stores that use the one queue approach where there's no guessing as to which cash will go quicker. Everyone gets their turn, and it's all fair.
]]>@Porcupinesalad: Not to fuel the flames, but after you are asked to leave, at least in Ohio, it's considered criminal tresspassing. That's a quick way to go to jail for something dumb IMO. Although, I've done that a few times in my career simply because people are causing a scene. I lol alot when they cops put the handcuffs on and tell them "If you had left when they asked, this wouldn't be a problem"
]]>Based on my personal experience, the bully that cuts in front of you in a line, will not care about anybody saying anything to them on their behavior. And there are some bullies out there that don't even care about getting down ugly with the police. If your line at the register moves slowly, well tough cookies! deal with it.
]]>@Razor512: I saw this on tv last night. When I googled it I found a blog that had some of her college classmates who described her as loud and obnoxious and known to cuss.The tone of the blog did not sound like an ax being ground and they were appaled at how far this has been blown out of proportion. The defendent is really playing up the preachers daughter angle akong with the race card. It really does seem like this should never have esclated to the police being called to begin with.
]]>i think if you split up to get the fastest line it is fine to join your friend. but not to have a cart full of stuff where others have to all back up carts and such.
HOWEVER, if they are already where people have their items on the belt behind your friends stuff, well you are just out of luck, you waited too long. pushing someones items back is just not cool at all.
]]>not cool dude. not cool.
]]>If they put everyone in corrals, then the people in the line would have to walk the width of the Walmart as they progress in the line. The line of cashiers is pretty long so it's be a lot of walking back and forth.
]]>If people were less apt to allow this behavior, maybe it wouldn't be so pervasive....
]]>The cold hard fact is that an alternative is needed. A single queue IS that alternative. Leaving things as they are, WILL NOT help. Lines WILL NOT magically improve if stores do NOTHING to change how they work. There is no "line fairy" who will show up someday and *poof* make the lines go away.
One definition of "insanity" is doing the same thing repeatedly, expecting different results. If this is the case, then continuing to use multiple queues is "insanity." That's right. I said it. It is INSANE. Period.
I very much understand the resistance to this. I do. Honest. I get it. Really. I know it appears counterintuitive. I know it looks daunting.
But the key words on those two sentences are "appears" and "looks." That's all it is ... an appearance only.
The reality is that a single queue is the most efficient way to go in every case. It just is.
If you don't believe me, try this real-world example reported in the New York Times:
The single-line, bank-style system was quickly chosen for its statistical efficiency. Then, Whole Foods paired the system with possibly the largest number of registers in the city, more than 30 per store, and it hired an army of cashiers to staff them throughout the day (including "floaters" to fill in for those who need a break).It simply works better. If more stores would try it, they'd find that out ... and you'd see it for yourself.]]>The result is one of the fastest grocery store lines in the city. An admittedly unscientific survey by this reporter found that at peak shopping times - Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - a line at Whole Foods checked out a person every 4.5 seconds, compared with 19.6 seconds for a line at Trader Joe's.
@anneka: "and if the person asks if someone can join them I usually say yes"
Ok, what if you are in a hurry, and they dont ask, and have a lot of stuff. Does it bother you?
If they ask, you are right, its typically not a big deal, but it is just rude to not ask, and if the article is right and she just started pushing other peoples stuff back on the belt so hers would fit, its even more of a problem.
]]>Should she have jumped line? No. Am I surprised that she was treated this way? Absolutely not, unfortunately.
]]>@anneka: If you are in a hurry, then ask, assuming no one will mind that you are forcing them to wait longer is stupid and rude. Thinking "well I would do it if I were in x situation" is not the appropriate way to guage something.
Id let my friends borrow my car if they asked in most cases, but I wouldnt go take theirs without asking.
Id let my friend borrow money if asked, but wouldnt take theirs without asking, and if they took mine without asking it would be theft.
Permissions to do something makes all the difference in the world.
I dont have problems waiting in line, I do have problems with people thinking they for some reason dont need to wait in the same line as everyone else.
]]>But I digress; just because a store/restaurant/customer-service-based business has a sign saying they have the right to refuse service to anyone, doesn't necessarily mean they do. A lot of restaurants have these signs because it allows them to kick-out patrons that are recognized as past dine-and-dashers. However, a lot of things can move from legal realms to civil realms. So, if a store DOES refuse service, they'd better have a pretty cut-and-dried case as to why they did so. And even if they avoid legal proceedings, they'll still have a potential lawsuit brewing for any number of reasons thought up by the refusee. So, it would behoove all customer-service businesses to be sure they're making the right call on refusing service.
]]>It is not cool to cut in line and it makes no difference to the people behind you whether the person you're joining is your cousin, though.
]]>(1) Other people choose which line to get into based on who is already in the line. You are screwing with everyone else when you cut into a line.
(2) Is it then okay for two of your friends to hop in? What about three friends? Where is the cutoff? Any cutoff is arbitrary, so if you say some cutting is acceptable, you have no logical basis to argue against a large number of people cutting.
]]>@diasdiem: But I don't feel that way, so why should you be able to make that choice for me if you're ahead of me on line?
The 15 years should be for the line cutting and then whatever they want to give her for hitting the cops.
I've almost gotten into fights over line budding in the past, and this sounds most egregious (sp?). If you miss the window of opportunity (i.e. you have to shove the succeeding customer's shit back) then you've come too late.
]]>I guess I'm the type that actively tries not to impose on other people...even if it is a complete stranger and only for one minute.
I'm also not the type to get upset by such behavior. I wrote above, "I'd imagine anger is a common response.". I meant that literally. My blood pressure is not affected by such common acts of rudeness...or even what I consider to be much worse (e.g. woman starts war dialing family members on her cell in front of me to find someone to transfer money since she can't foot the $20 in groceries she's trying to buy...I waited five minutes before I had to reload my cart and switch lanes).
What it boils down to (for some of us) is the lack of common courtesy that is this type of behavior. It's presumptuous to think that your forgetfulness for some milk is OK with the rest of the world because their time cannot possibly be important to them.
]]>Most of the rude line cutters I have experienced are middle aged women.
]]>Maybe when I infringe on the rights of others, throw a temper tantrum, and then assault officers of the law I too will get my fair share of rape. Until then I will continue to choke on the freedom not being an egomaniacal asshat allows me.
We've all seen these types of people, and they come in all genres. We often wish a house or truck would fall on them. They suck the joy out of life. I have zero sympathy for them. Dont be dick, be considerate to others, realize you are not all that important.
]]>Anyone who thinks it's ok to allow a cutter in front of them should do the right thing and take the cutter's place at the end of the line. (when it's not just you in line)
]]>And, cutting in is rude but 15 years seems crazy. Without knowing the full story I respect that she's willing to stand by her principals and not take a plea.
]]>Wal Mart has us all standing in line waiting to give them our hard earned money. Our money is good enough to make them top the list of ten of the richest families according to those yearly lists published by Forbes and Fortune. BUT- well our time isn't that important to them - that is why they have rows of unopened checkout counters at the front of the store as we stand waiting forever, and gnashing our teeth at out fellow consumers. Is it right that we give Wal Mart our money & they send it to China where the Chinese steal our patents making reengineered junk copies of our stuff. When the local competitor is run out of business, what choice do we have but to work for an employe who pays their employees minimum wage, gives them minimal training & understaff the registers 'cuz it's more cost effective while they sit in Bentonville counting our hundred dollar bills?
But wait, we blame it on the poor guy in front of us - yeah, that's right, he's the one disrespecting us.
Thmink!
I find that far too many people poke their nose in other people's business. I was in Costco yesterday; I spent about $200 and made the mistake of putting my bottled water purchase onto the conveyer belt instead of leaving it in my cart. The checker 25 year old male, said I could leave it in my cart, but frankly I already had it on the belt and didn't want to move it again. The Checker said to me I could leave the water in my cart 3 different times. I finally said in an annoyed tone, that I heard him the first time.
The Checker then started to explain that he was just trying to be nice to me. Nice? I already had the water on the belt; please just finish checking out the people in front of me so you can start checking me out.
This exchange between me and the checker prompted a man in the lane next to me, to made a comment to his wife that I was an "A**Hole". Nice, my 13 year old daughter heard what he said. Just to be certain I heard Correctly, I leaned in to the man and asked, "Did you just call me an "A**Hole?" the man responded yes.
Yes, I followed the man and his wife to their car, and proceeded to tell him that People like him are the reason America is in trouble. Many of you feel the need to stick your nose in or comment on things that are not your business. Basically, Folks, Shut the F*&^ Up! Mind your own business... The life you save may be your own...
]]>If she went to prison, it would be for assault.
Also, the trial hasn't happened yet. 15 years is the maximum, which she is unlikely to get, in my opinion.
]]>@PsiCop: In stores where there is a broad selection of people, that may be the case. But, the problem comes back to the WM/grocery store high volume retailers that also serve as convenience points. Those are the locations where I suspect that the backfire scenario you present would occur on a regular basis.
In a store like JoAnn's, I suspect that the majority of purchase quantities fall within a narrow range of items.
At a grocery store/WM, you have a larger floor plan that encourages purchasing of a larger variety of items, but the price competition that make the store a lower priced alternative to 7-11/CVS. This attraction of extremes wouldn't be a problem if purchasing was spread out evenly. However, with the majority of purchases being actual grocery purchases, you end up with the majority skewing towards high volumes. As more folks hit the high volume threshhold, the express lane folks are stuck. Self checkouts appeared to have been an attempt to cut costs as well as cater to low volume purchasers (would you devote 3 aisles of self checkout with "10 item or less" tags otherwise?). However, those line have been taken over by high volume purchasers attempting to escape from longer lines, just as they did when the express lanes were born.
Shunting people off to customer service is a viable option, but you then need to balance the actual service issues with those who have abandoned their place in line (if they have not been trapped by the line).
I think the Maze of Doom is viable in the right location, but it is not an ideal solution for high volume retailers. It is too easy for low volume folks to get stuck.
]]>If everyone followed this principle, the entire place would be in shambles, there would be broken bottles, etc as people squeezed in and out of lines continuously. The impulse buy items would be all over the floor, and every line would move 10x slower as hundreds of people moved in and out of lines continuously. It only works for the "few" people that think it is ok. Fortunately, the people with manners keep the place moving in an orderly manner.
]]>@trujunglist: @Geblah187: why does WalMart have umpteen registers at the front of the store but only two or three open? Yet we continue to tolerate their lines. Our money is good enough to make them one of the top ten richest families according to the Forbes list - but our time is not important to them. I guess it is a simple matter of courtesy and respect.
Would this sort of thing happen if peoples nerves weren't already frazzled trying to make ends meet.
Maybe we'd have enough goodwill left for our fellow man
to let them ahead of us once in a while and not take it as a personal insult.
Nope, sorry, don't agree. If it worked like that, then you could get a family of 12 and have them all in each line with items. Then one person is ready to be rung up, and all 11 of the other people have to gather up their items, force their way out of their lines, force their way back into their "friend's" line. Now...imagine if everyone in the place did this. And if you are putting people in the lines without items...then why are they in a line if they have nothing to buy?
]]>@lmarconi: You misunderstand me - I find doing this hilarious. Doesn't hurt my blood pressure, just gives me a chuckle for the day.
In other news - I also enjoy standing facing the back if I'm the last person on a crowded elevator.
]]>I just don't like the assumption that you can cut because you feel like you're in a bigger rush than me, or that I don't deserve even the smallest consideration such as asking first.
Asking really does go a long way in my book.
]]>@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: thinking that line cutting is someone saying they are better than you, it sounds like very low self esteem. How would a person even come up with that idea? Sometimes people are just oblivious, think other people don't mind because they wouldn't in the same situation, in a big hurry for some good reason - sick relative at home etc.
Wal Mart would never put people from the rich side of town in the situation of waiting in a long line. Maybe its Wal Mart who thinks you deserve to wait in a long line while umpteen registers remain closed.
I guess this sort of thing gives them free publicity.
Pretty sure this has been pointed out at least three times.
]]>@korybing@korybing: like you said pick your battles - what will this matter in a hundred years.
It is one thing to say - excuse me but you are line cutting and the line ends back there - but to start shoving and pushing or worse is very immature and shows little to no good judgement.
I have a good friend that got into an argument with the owner of a wedding dress shop. It finally deteriorated into an "Im not leaving without my refund!" so the owner called the cops.
Everything was fine - my friends decided to leave once the cops arrived but then as they were leaving he yelled - Great police in this town! The best cops money can buy! (Add a little profanity for color)
He got to spend the afternoon downtown.
The cops had let him go. All he had to do was walk away but Nooooooo! Just gotta' get the last word in.
Moral of the story: be polite to the police and they will be polite to you. Work out any wrongs later at the proper forum.
]]>@outlulz: Glad to hear there are still reasonable people out there. I agree with you.
]]>@bigd7387: You sound so self righteous, never made a mistake, never lost your temper, always do what's just right.
Did you ever "imagine" what it would be like to be treated badly just because of chance - you don't pick your parents or your color of skin. Wake up
@floraposte: That sounds like paradise. I was raised to be polite, and I let people go ahead of me all the time, but I've never once had anyone offer to let me go ahead of them when I have a few items. Folks here in Santa Fe seem to be way too self-centered to make that sort of minor sacrifice.
]]>I'll admit that if somebody joined their friend and paid separately for a cart full of crap, I'd be a bit peeved. But if somebody joins their friend and buys a pack of gum, whatever. I have better things to be upset about. That one minute is not worth being irritated. Somebody who huffs at some kid who cuts with their friend and says "the line is over there," most likely in an irritated and condescending voice, probably gets upset about a lot of little crap in life that isn't important in the general scheme of things.
On occasion, bf and I have been in line at the grocery store and I remember we forgot to get something, like a gallon of milk. I'll leave him there, I'll go and get the milk, and I'll jump back in line. I especially don't see a problem with that and I don't have a problem when other people do it. It's clear to those behind you why you jumped out of line and you didn't change the order in the end.
]]>@pecan 3.14159265: Yeah, that was a little over-the-top, but I sort of find myself agreeing with the spirit of what he's saying just the same. @_@
]]>Have you considered that the 30 seconds you save by splitting lines isn't worth being rude to the people you're getting in front of?
I see people split lines around here, but as soon as someone gets in line behind them they get out of that line (because bringing the other person into that line would be rude).
]]>Oh, and earlier today my dad and I were patiently waiting for a lady to finish browsing the clearance section of the meat case at the grocery store. Only to have some old bastard jump right in and stand there for 15 goddamn minutes touching everything. What's worse is my dad's an old bastard himself.
]]>Unless she has video evidence of the Police using racial slurs then I would imagine it's another case of their race as an excuse. This is the type of event that makes actual people who suffer from racism go unreported and abused. If she/they have proof then it's uncalled for but if they don't then they should be procecuted. I see people of every race everyday acting as if they are the only ones that matter. What ever happened to manners?
]]>@nbs2: I love the Best Buy Maze of Doom! I don't even mind when it's Christmas and the line is so packed with people because I like that I don't have to walk up and down the store looking for a shorter lane.
But you still have to deal with cutsies. It's just that there's actually someone there who monitors the line.
]]>I do this all the time at stores (usually Costco with long lines). I'll have a friend stand in line with our cart full of stuff and I'll hit up the pharmacy/snacks area nearby and grab stuff.
One transaction = ok. Straight cutting and turning it into two transactions = not okay.
]]>Then again, I had a guy get really angry with me at a CVS because I was the last remaining person in what had been an impromptu single line for three registers. He wanted to know which register I was waiting for, and when I told him there had been one line, so whichever one opened up next he started ranting at me. Apparently being the second person in a line was much worse than getting to guess which customer finish first.
]]>If you're being wrongfully arrested, you may be able to explain yourself later. If you resist arrest because you feel like you're being wrongfully arrested, you might get hit with the very real charges of resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Even if the original charge is dropped, your actions during the arrest might stick!
]]>@HogwartsAlum: Sorry you don't feel well. :( Feel better, though. Chicken soup?
]]>I also wonder about how it works with the volume volume differences, because in a supermarket, you're generally unloading a cartload full of crap. This takes time, so you have to start *before* the usual "I can help the next person" timing.
]]>Yesterday it was incredibly busy. I had lines all day, and all the other staff were too busy with their own tasks to help me out. But when it's just returns, I can take each person in under a minute, easily.
This woman comes by with piles of stuff to buy. She feigns that she has a question to ask me, then decides that's justification enough to purchase her many things with me. There are about 8 people lined up behind her at this point. She keeps checking behind her, and I think this is because she feels guilty making others wait to do returns. That is not the case. She's actually looking everywhere for her friend so her friend can cut behind her. At one point, she leaves the line while I'm still ringing, and shouts to her friend at the other side of the store to hurry up. The people behind are rolling their eyes, but there's nothing I can do without insulting this lady.
So then she calls her friend twice on her cellphone to tell her to get back to customer service so she can ring up her stuff with her. Finally, the friend comes up with a whole other basket filled. I'm just shocked. She has no regard for the people behind her at all. After over twenty minutes with her, I help the person behind her, who I discover is actually the pregnant girlfriend of a friend of mine. Yes, the woman didn't care that she made a very pregnant woman stand and wait the whole time.
The woman behind the pregnant woman was so appalled by everything, that I offered her a comment card to share her feelings with my manager. Which I made sure was left on my manager's desk. Hopefully, incidents like this will eventually give me the authority to turn rude people like this away so they can go to the proper lines for checkout. Sheesh.
]]>@Schmeeky: Yup. That always seems to be the case here too. That's not too big a deal though. What really annoys me is when someone has a cart load of stuff and sees me standing there with maybe two or three items, but proceeds to unload their cart without offering to let me go first.
I always do it when someone behind me has less than I do, and it would be nice to get the same consideration every once in awhile. However it's been my experience that the folks in my neck of the woods are some of the most self-centered individuals that you'll ever meet. In fact I don't think that one person that I've allowed to go ahead of me has ever bothered to even thank me. I'm surprised that none of them have bothered to flip me off just to make it clear how little they care about anybody but themselves.
]]>@DangerMouth: No, it's that a couple's interests align - we have to get out of this store, we need to go home and make dinner. Individuals that make up a group of friends may not have such a cohesive goal. We (the group) may need to make that 8 pm movie, but I need my Red Vines to sneak into the theater.
]]>I don't feel well today and have no sympathy for her. None.
]]>15 years in jail is probable resisting arrest & the kicking & fighting with offerciers.
If that happened, or needed to happen is the debate here - but she is NOT going to get 15 years in prison for cutting in line...
]]>nothing to see here, folks!
]]>"Protocol would be to glance at the person you'd be cutting in front of and motion that you'd like to join your companion in line."
absolutely correct, in my mind. if you want to cut, explain yourself. Like you, I'm likely to go for it if it's just a few items.
Anybody who cuts and thinks the person behind them wouldn't care is presumptuous and selfish. Anyone who cuts and doesn't care what the person behind them thinks is a jerk, plain and simple.
Decorum, people! It's what makes humans special. At least we have the capacity...
]]>Also applies to parking: a single male will get in his car and out of a spot much faster than families and groups of friends.
]]>@self-check: Except that it's not like that at all, simply because, you know, they weren't in the final line in the beginning.
Which is the crux of the issue. If you weren't there in line from the start, then you don't suddenly get to appear out of nowhere like some sort of magical douche-bag, cutting in front of the folks who queued up properly like some sort of self-entitled cunt.
]]>@idip:
Absolutely, store have and do refuse service. Service=labor (or a task performed) and the 16th Admendment forbids slavery and servitude. Being reguired to perform a service (above and beyond the call of duty or what is provided to other customers) without proper compensation is the same as slavery.
Refuse service can be for other reasons. Health and safety of employees or other customers is a very valid reason.
]]>Acutally there is a garden ridge near me that has this type of construction. There is one big line and they have it written to "Wait here for the next available cashier". So if there is one working faster than the others or hitting small items, the whole line moves faster.
]]>@fitzhume: Technically, yes, but would that make you want to read the article?
]]>@korybing: Gotta disagree. I'll call out a line jumper because in my book, when you act like an asshat you need to be held accountable for being an asshat. Letting them go on their merry way seems like confirming that it's OK for them to be an asshat, and it's not.
However, I'm a very low-stress person and I have no trouble calling someone out in a situation like this without raising my blood pressure or inducing an ulcer. :)
]]>As an African American male, I couldn't be more tired of the "race card" being pulled up by other African Americans. It's incomprehensible to see skin color so often used as a cop-out for one's blatant disregard to society.
]]>@jaya9581: That's what I tend to do on the off chance that I'm bothered enough by it to speak up. The cutter's reaction makes it more than worth the slight delay. :P
]]>@Hobz: That is exactly what I was thinking too, I don't see how that would be fair.
]]>@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: This happened to me EVERY TIME I chose a short line at Wal-Mart.
Notice the past-tense... the "value" just isn't worth it to me anymore.
]]>@nbs2: Who's cut now?
]]>Choose your battles. Your ulcers will thank you for it.
]]>@Scuba Steve: It's the principle of the matter to me. I don't get indignant about it, but I wouldn't cut in front of someone who has been waiting in line, and I would appreciate the same consideration.
That said, I can't hold other people to my own standards.
]]>Her story stinks.
]]>It's rude to cut in line, but at the end of the day, it is not something I am going to lose sleep over.
]]>She is getting a trial for her irresponsible behavior that ended in resisting arrest and assaulting two police officers. There is footage of the event, but it's not been released publicly.
She deserves no sympathy and will be judged at trial by peers.
]]>@self-check: When we go to Costco, as soon as we're near the end of our gathering, I'll go grab a spot in a line while my wife grabs the last of the stuff. Then she joins me in line.
And, if I manage to get to the register before she gets back, I let people cut past me til she gets there. Have never had an issue with it.
]]>@Brontide: "Walmart has security footage so I'm having a hard time believing that officers would just make up the chain of events."
While the police probably have what ever footage that exists, please remember that Walmart's security cameras are to protect Walmart and its goods not necessarily the public from crimes or support criminal investigations.
Just saying...
]]>And even if they weren't polite and just cut in, I hate confrontation so much that the worst I would ever do to them is just glare at them. Someone cutting in front of me in a check-out line isn't worth getting upset about in the grand scheme of things.
]]>@Jaynor: I love this idea, but I'm female and smaller, so I may have to resort to odd mumblings and humming to up the discomfort factor.
]]>anyone who cuts, without getting permissions, is rude, end of story. If you cut you are saying "Im too good to wait the extra few minutes in line, but everyone behind me isnt" and thats crap. If you are in a rush, and have 1 or 2 things, then ask if its ok. If you are in a rush and have a cartfull of things, plan better next time and deal with it.
It sounds like she cut, was asked to leave, then had a fit. Ive seen this happen with people in stores when they dont get their way, they throw tantrums. Ive also seen people push cops when they try to restrain them. They act like a cop is a normal person who you can just shove away when they grab you to restrain you, they arent, that is resisting arest.
If the cops were using racial slurs, they should be punished for sure, but if she resisted arrest, so should she.
]]>It wasn't cool to cut when you were (hopefully) being taught how to stand in a line in Kindergarten.
It's even more uncool when you're an adult and play such games with your own arbitrary standards (e.g. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with it unless the person has an absurd shopping cart full of merchandise."). If you get permission from the people you are cutting in front of, then it's completely fair game.
Personally, I don't care if you just need a pack of gum. It's still cutting in a line, and be ready for people to respond however they do when they feel cheated. I'd imagine anger is a common response.
I agree with FatLynn's comment that if you aren't purchasing anything that it's a 100% non-issue.
]]>I always start out by saying something polite, but if I catch that note of defiance in their reply - I don't hesitate to let them know exactly how I feel, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
]]>@Scuba Steve: But sometimes it is a race. If im in a rush, I dont want to wait the extra 3 minutes for them to get through. And it seems that any time I allow anyone to cut, something happens. Their payment doesnt process, they need a price check, they need something that ends up taking much longer.
It's normally not a big deal, but the same logic that you are using to be ok with line cutters points out why they shouldnt cut to begin with. They think its ok to make me wait longer, but arent willing to wait longer themselves.
]]>Whatever happened to letting people in front of you just because you want to make someone happy and hopefully they will pass the goodwill on to someone else.
I especially like to do this around the holiday season when everyone seems to be in such a rush.
In those cases, the scheme backfires and makes things worse, not better.
The fact is that a single queue is overall more efficient for everyone ... cashiers AND customers. It maximizes use of each register and optimally moves customers to them. This will benefit everyone ... those with a few items as well as those with many.
If you're having a hard time imagining it, remember that, with large-transaction customers mingled in with small-transaction customers, this means that some of those transactions will be completed more quickly than others. This increases turnover time, again, for everyone.
It only backfires at moments when there's along sequence of people with large transactions who fill up all the registers and occupy them for a long time, with a single person with a small transaction waiting behind them. The odds of this happening would be small, depending on the register capacity. (If there are only 2 open registers it could be frequent, but if there are 10, it would be rare indeed.) But there are ways that stores can deal with that too, if they wish ... they could divert those people, say, to the customer-service desk, when that happens.
Again, it's all a matter of whether the stores WISH to do this. They CAN, and it would serve everyone better if they did, and they CAN do it with the same space they have now ... but many do not WISH to do it.
]]>This is a little clarification, she was arrested INSIDE the store for refusing to leave after creating a scene. She is facing a number of charges because she ended up resisting arrest and attacking 2 of the officers. Walmart has security footage so I'm having a hard time believing that officers would just make up the chain of events.
The officer explained in the affidavit that once it became "abundantly clear" that the subject had "no intention of cooperating" with police, she was informed that she was being placed under arrest. At this time, the officer struggled to place handcuffs on Ellis because she became even more combative, according to police.]]>
The affidavit indicates that Ellis' refusal to comply with the arrest resulted in two additional officers coming to the arresting officer's aid. Ellis was described by these officers to be swinging, fighting, and kicking throughout the incident, while the three officers attempted to place her in handcuffs.
According to the court document, during the incident, Ellis reportedly kicked one of the officers, prior to striking a second arresting officer in the mouth. Once subdued, Ellis was transported to the Dunklin County Jail where she was processed, booked, and incarcerated.
As long as they aren't trying to have two separate receipts I guess. Since the point is to just add to an existing list of items, its especially obvious when the person in front of you doesn't have anything to check out with. Its not like someone wouldn't just jump in line with their friend, like they just needed to go replace or get that one item, while the friend stands in that super long stupid line that occurs.
]]>"She's apparently been offered plea deals but has refused them on principal ..."
Principal who? Or do you mean 'principle'?
]]>@justsomeotherguy: your the asshat, where can i sign you up for assrape?
]]>She had left the small minded town atmosphere and gone to college where she had become used to being treated fairly as an equal and when she returned she forgot how to act like she knew " her place" in Kennet, Missouri.
From their perspective she is standing up good posture, smiling, good clothes on not acting head bowed ,no eye contact. We just saw the movie "Mississippi Burning" the other night. Yeah we know what goes on in Kennet.
Furthermore, the problem is an economic issue. The Wal Marts in Boca Raton,FL or Sonoma, AZ or any other ritzy area of town don't usually have long checkout lines that cause customers fighting with one another.
Being a big Wal Mart shopper throughout the country, I find it strange that it is usually only the poorer communities where WalMart has a string of checkout counters at runing the entire front of the store, but with only one or two actually in service.
]]>@pecan 3.14159265: well every time god kills a kitten i want kitten stew. and you are correct, you are not imdb.
]]>@amhorach: I just fear that we would end up with the Best Buy Maze of Doom. The local BB went from 10 lanes to three in making the shift. I suppose it isn't that drastic, since they really just went from three open lanes to two. Nevertheless, the store within a store that is their impulse purchase area is exhausting.
With a grocery store or WM, or other high volume store, I think this would be more difficult. You need sufficient space for a cart full of goods, as opposed to a few items. Additionally, the current model is more accomodating of express purchases, by presenting all lines as equally long rather than one extra long line and a shorter express queue.
]]>Shouldn't the headline be "15 Years In Prison After Fighting With Police"?
]]>I really hope the plea deal isn't a small fine or probation. So now she will have to defend what she was charged for. And a good defense usually isn't, "she pushed me as I cut in line". Especially since no witness accounts for the events like she describes.
]]>@pecan 3.14159265: Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? Not Meeeee.....!
]]>No one in Minnesota cuts in line. No one wants to risk "the look."
No one gives "the look" better than a Minnesotan. You know the look... the one that says you are a piece of organic detritous floating in a ceramic tank?
If someone does cut in line in Minnesota, it's someone from somewhere else who doesn't know how cold it can get here.
Or, maybe it's just that it has never happened to me here. If it did, I'd side with the majority here, and give "the look" when it looked like line cutter was going to cause a second transaction.
]]>@Daveinva: You cut my line, I cut you?
]]>I don't mind if you're in line together and one of you is coming up late with the milk or whatever, but actual line-splitting? Nah, tacky. But I think we need a Consumerist poll on this!
]]>@Loias: it should suffice, but apparently it didnt since it escalated to a confrontation with the police. you're assuming everyone's civil, which obviously wasn't the case here
]]>@justsomeotherguy: Whoa, uncalled for. Totally, absolutely uncalled for!
]]>@AbsoluteIrrelevance: once you're at the conveyor belt, you're committed. it's too late when the person behind you already loaded their stuff on the belt
]]>Don't bite my head off but this sounds like a case of crying racism to get out of the assault charges pending against her.
]]>She should be caned and put in stocks to be publicly humiliated... Then I'm certain she'd learn the protocols of polite society. Prison will not rehabilitate this asshat, it will only mold her in ways what in the end will cost us all less.
But since that isnt an option... Well 15 years of prison rape seems fair to me for being a asshat.
]]>When I'm shopping with a friend, I usually get on line first, and then my friend puts on a red shirt and a name tag and walks to an empty cash register and yells "Can I help the next person please!" Everyone from in front of me usually zooms over to that new line, and while my friend pretends to "just be logging in/setting up/etc. for a minute", I pay, and then my friend and I run out of the store together. Saves loads of time.
]]>@htowninsomniac: My wife and I will commonly hold a spot in two lines to scope out which line is moving faster, but we always make the selection on which line we pick well before we are ready to place the items on the belt. (Especially at Costco where there are usually 5 people waiting in line)
We can avoid all of this simply by setting up a single line que where customers wait until the next available register is open. This way, if one customer had issues with the transaction it has no impact on who is served next
]]>@WatchOutNow: Everytime you neglect to write in properly spelled sentences, and use excessive exclamation points, God kills a kitten. We are not IMDB.
]]>As to this specific incident, though, the woman's not entitled to shop there. If she was asked to leave the store, she should have, regardless of whether she "wanted to pay."
]]>Splitting lines to find the fastest one is totally fair game.
]]>otherwise this is just an exercise in determining "acceptable" annoyance.
Bottom line. Rude people will still cut, people in the line will still be annoyed. But it's nothing to lose sleep over.
]]>Eaxmple: Customer A and B (wife and husband) go grocery shopping. Customer A waits in one line with a cart full of groceries, Customer B waits in another with a pack of gum.
Now when I go grocery shopping, I don't usually check out in the shortest line. I look for the line with people carrying the least amount of items. How would you feel if you waited in line to check out and a woman with a cart full of food jumped in line because her husband was holding her a spot?
]]>@JPropaganda: unless they aren't paying together. if they are paying together and it's only a couple items, sure go ahead.
]]>WALMART is a ghetto! I h8 that place. Chalk 1 up for racism! !:YAY:!
]]>The only way I would agree with that is if they are paying together. If they are paying separately, no, its not right.@He:
]]>Cutting the line is neither against store policy nor the law, but if the lady was either 'actin' a fool' or the police were displaying racism, the tapes/witnesses should be able to verify/deny the statements of either party.
]]>i only go to walmart at 5am. the wierdos are much cooler looking then.
]]>It just doesn't matter when rude people are involved.
Personally, when I am in those lines, I have already wasted time shopping for whatever is in my cart, another 5 minutes will not affect me either positively or negatively. Life takes a long time to live. There are other battles to fight.
]]>@FatLynn: I'm okay when it all goes on the same receipt. If it's two separate transactions, it's not okay, because it's not just the items, it's the extra time to pay for them.
]]>I see the sort of situation described in this story sometimes - two people shopping together, then at check-out time they split up and whoever gets the fastest line lets the other person cut in. It's rude.
]]>As far as line-cutting, if someone handed their buddy some stuff to get for them, I might be a bit irritated but let it slide. If someone wants to cut in front of me and ring up two separate transactions, that would not be fine.
I don't know what I would say, if anything. Might just base it on the situation and the shopper and how mean they look.
I hope they can settle up something, because it sounds like both sides might have been at fault. No need for cops to get too aggressive, but she doesn't need to start kicking people.
]]>If it's a line in a grocery store or someplace where each persons purchase can differ in amount then it is NOT acceptable. No, your 900lb friend in the crane can not join you in front of me in line to order 10 hamburgers, and not you can't have your friend cut in line with 20 grocery items just because you have 1 or 2. I hate you all. Please die.
That's mostly aside fom the allegations and facts we don't know about this particular case though.
]]>I have not only experience the elderly blatantly cutting in line, but also clipping my ankles with their cart while I was checking out and telling me to get out of their way. Maybe that was appropriate behavior in the 1940s, but it isn't now.
]]>A: two strangers join at end of line.
B: two friends join at end of line.
C: first friend joins at end of line, and second later joins friend in middle.
D: two friends join at end of line, one friend leaves and later re-joins other friend in middle of line.
E: first stranger gets in line, and second later cuts in behind him.
E is the problem, and if socially accepted, it would become rampant. If are near the end of the line, why not just cut in earlier? Thus, anyone attempting E should be publicly shamed.
A and B are obviously acceptable, since they strictly follow the rule of only joining the line at the end. C and D are the main questions. Both are similar to B, and probably not that common, thus allowing them wouldn't significantly impact one's average time-to-wait in lines. One snag is that C and D can look like E if the friends don't interact in a way that makes their relation obvious; others might see it as a stranger cutting in. So anyone practicing C and D could be sure to make their relation obvious to others, by exchanging a few words when one joins the other already in line.
]]>Now, if you are not purchasing anything, and you get in one line while your friend is in the other, and she comes over when you get to the register first, that is fair game.
]]>I'll second (or third) the comments about "if it's on the same receipt, all well & good."
Otherwise, it's the same problem as drivers who think nothing of racing ahead in the cash-only lane and then cutting into the E-Z pass lane. WTF, like I enjoy paying my tolls and waiting for my turn? You can wait 1/4 mile back like I was.
If they can do this in banks, in Wendy's, at the Yankee Candle flagship store, and in other places, then they can do it in Wal-Mart, Kmart, grocery stores, and everywhere else. It's really just a matter of whether the store wishes to do it or not. Many wish not to, because a single long queue is more apparently intimidating to shoppers. This is, of course, merely an appearance. In reality a single queue is much more inherently "fair" and therefore more respectful.
Granted, a single queue won't prevent outsiders from trying to jump in. But it's easier to prevent this when you have only one queue; you can put up barriers or have it watched, etc. Multiple queues are much harder to control and observe.
]]>@JPropaganda: I totally agree with this. In fact, the people who split lines are usually the people who don't have a ton of stuff. Who would split an entire cart of stuff just to get into two different lines?
]]>@Loias: The Target near my home always has at least six lines open. I've never spent more than a few minutes waiting in line.
]]>I do this, and I analyze people's behavior. In particular, I avoid the elderly, the hagglers and the indecisive buyers. With regards to what they're buying, I avoid lines in which people are carrying a lot of produce (this ensures a lot of book flipping and inputting of numbers) or very pricey electronics (sometimes this requires a cashier to override the system).
Usually when we split up and go to different lines, it's because one person gets into a line and the other person scouts ahead to see whether there are better lines. Usually I'm the scouter because I've gotten pretty fast about looking at who is in what line and what stuff they carry.
The ideal person to get behind is the younger lone male who has only one or two items. They don't tend to haggle on price as much, and they are usually very resolute on their purchase (it's not hinging on price). I don't like being behind friends in groups because they tend to talk to one another. Couples are okay.
]]>@RPHP: I was looking to see if anyone else caught it.
]]>@The_Red_Monkey: the 15 years isnt for the line cutting. Or even the (potential) assault on the other customer. Its for whatever happened outside with the cops.
]]>Cutting in line is never ok unless all the others in line agree. It's still rude though.
]]>@WonderKatGoBoom: Really? Targets near me have literally 20+ lanes and only ever open 3 regardless how many are in line.
]]>I also enjoy loudly talking to my companions about how rude it is to cut, etc. It amuses me more than anything else, and watching the cutter get offended is far more satisfying a feeling than convincing them to go to the back of the line.
]]>If the items go on the same receipt, then generally it should be okay. Usually a friend isn't willing to pay for 30 items, just one-two, and the time lost by others is minimal.
That being said, if someone cuts and you're not cool with it, a polite "I'm sorry, you must not have seen me here. There's actually a few other people already waiting in line for this register" will suffice.
]]>Jump them in the parking lot.
]]>You know, I might get annoyed if someone cuts in front of me in line, but honestly, I don't care. It's not a race. A fast cashier shouldn't even make it an issue. You just go through, and its over.
People are too uptight.
]]>As for the police problem, there should be some surveillance camera footage, if not then it is her word against the police officers and guess who the courts are going to believe.
]]>I stand really uncomfortably close to line cutters in front of me... I'm 6'3" and 300lbs. I like it if I can see the hair on the back of their necks move when I breathe.
I figure the awkwardness of that situation is punishment enough for their crimes.
]]>Its not ok to jump line but just hand your crap to your friend to pay for and then settle outside. That does not make everyone so angry.
So depending on what side is more true if she was resisting arrest I still think 15 years is too much considering the crime that she had committed to warrant an arrest.
]]>"Is it cool for someone to join their friend or relative in a faster moving line?"
No. Unless you go to the end.
]]>Being forced to leave and banned from the store, regardless of whether she wants to pay or not, is adequate.
]]>Protocol would be to glance at the person you'd be cutting in front of and motion that you'd like to join your companion in line. If it's just a few items, I wouldn't mind being allowing someone to cut in.
I'm young-looking and small, and in the South. My biggest problem with line cutters are when another lane opens and the last person in the next line jumps in, instead of allowing those who had been waiting longer. I also have experienced the elderly blanantly cutting in line, as if they have earned it.
I generally let it slide. I avoid Wal-Mart, and Target seems to always have another open lane.
If though she wanted to pay, the items she had were still WalMart property.
Do stores still reserve the right to refuse service? If so, being asked to leave is enough to get you to go.
]]>